Another thing that fuels the GAS, and for some reason really drives me batty, is when people see one great shot on some website and say, "Oh, I guess I need one of those now!..."
People, the camera does nothing. Why would anyone think if they buy a camera/lens that was used for an impressive shot that if they just buy that, they will produce the same impressive shots???
Just get out there and shoot with whatever you got and explore all aspects of it.
That's logical. But, it ignores too many factors. I wish i could think that way, and dismiss all else. But, it assumes you want to make one kind of photograph, in one kind of situation. And, that you're not all that particular about the minute details within the image. It's sorta like saying lenses don't have signatures.
Even if you can lock yourself down to a particularly stringent set of operating conditions, the 'rule' assumes that your interests won't change.
For me, in the beginning, i was shooting fashion. Pre-internet, and before the word and discussion of "bokeh" came about, all i knew was which cameras my influences were shooting with. But, i didn't identify the characteristics of those various lenses until later. So, i tried different medium format systems in an effort to get (very) specific image characteristics. Also, in the process of shooting and working with models and lighting, you get a sense of which systems work best with the style of photography you're developing for yourself. So, things change. It's evolutionary. And, because i would sometimes go back to a system i previously sold, it was sorta 'revolutionary.' It would have been great to just rent systems. But, the effort of procuring them, and returning them, plus the cost - well, it was more cost-effective to buy and sell.
Later, i dismissed "fashion," and my interest in other photographies developed. So, i wanted different gear. And, since i never found a 'perfect' camera system, i kept trying them. But, it wasn't entirely out of a perceived need. I just LIKE cameras. I appreciate design. And, engineering. It's an aesthetic thing as much as a sensual thing. And, on a few occasions i talked myself into a system, because i wanted to like it. Leica M, for example. But, i never really liked rangefinders for composing. I tried, because the glass is so great. The form factor is so great. So many of the pictures i love were made with them. But, they're not for me. But, you have to try in order to know.
Even though i regret a few gear decisions/choices, i don't regret having had the experience with them. Choosing one camera is like choosing one car. I LIKE cars. I don't really want to get married to one.
I disagree that "the camera does nothing." We're in a forum that primarily discusses cameras. The topics are camera-specific. People here "love" one particular camera or another. To be able to say 'just one is enough' is a pretty significant type of commitment. Could you make the same commitment to just any camera? You could just go to a store blindfolded, come home with one, and not wish for any other? Some people are easy to please. They can wear Wranglers, $20 shoes and a t-shirt, and they're happy. Me? Sometimes i'm unhappy with the selection at Bergdorf Goodman.
But, here's 'where i'm at' now:
Canon 5D2 + EOS3: 24/2.8, 50/1.4, 85/1.8 (soon).
Nikon F100 + FE2: 50/1.8S-E, 35/2 Mir-24.
Hasselblad 203FE: 80FE, 150FE.
That's it. Not extreme. But, yes, as you condemn me for : ( i saw some pictures from a Yashica, and i want one. Despite it not really having a purpose or place in my kit. I just looked into Hi-Matics after seeing some pictures in a recent thread here.... I look at the first few classified listings every time i visit, despite not really needing anything i expect to see....
